ISEP Graduate Wins Young Ideas Changing the Country Award
Profile

 

Selene Biffi, ISEP 2007 graduate, is the founder of Youth Action for Change, a global platform which strives to inspire and empower young people worldwide with the knowledge and tools they need to tackle global issues. To date, the program has reached thousands of youth in 120 countries worldwide, and gained recognition and awards from organisations such as the UN, the World Bank, Oxfam IYP, IYF/Nokia, the Council of Europe and Ashoka.

Ms. Biffi served with the UN and Amnesty International in the past in different capacities. She is an Action Partner of the International Youth Parliament (IYP), a member of the International Advisory Board of ICCHRA, a founding partner of the Committee of Expertise on ‘Youth Social Technopreneurship’ of the UN Alliance of ICTs and Development (UN-GAID), and an observer to the National Youth Policy drafting process at the Italian Youth Forum, among others.
Selene has contributed a few published works on youth inclusion and participation and youth policies, and has been profiled in several national and international media outlets for her work, including OneWorld, Associated Press and the World Bank 2007 Development Report. She has organised national and international consultations on youth participation on behalf of UNESCO and the World Bank, and served as a keynote speaker in major national and international youth events in Europe and the US. She was included in ‘Fighting for our Future: Tribute to Young Women inspiring Change’ by MADRE, and received awards such as the “Young Woman of the Year Award” in 2004 by the European Academy of Civil Society, ‘Change Maker of the Month’ by Ashoka - the leading organisation supporting social entrepreneurs worldwide – and the ‘Youth Action Net Award’ by the International Youth Foundation.

Following elections, she now coordinates the Youth Caucus at the UN Commission for Sustainable Development. She holds a Degree in International Economics and Management from Università Bocconi (Italy), and speaks Italian, English and Spanish.